A Step Beyond Sanity
The world rippled as the survivors emerged from the Rift, its edges knitting shut behind them with a sound like breaking glass. The twilight realm greeted them with an eerie stillness, the sky a sickly swirl of crimson and violet. The ground beneath their feet pulsed, the earth breathing as if alive.
Thalos steadied himself, his shadows bristling with unease. The air tasted of metal and decay, a sharp tang that lingered on the tongue. Around him, the Rose Covenant warriors held their weapons close, their eyes wide as they took in the alien landscape.
Eryndra stepped up beside him, her hand brushing his. "What is this place?"
"The Hollow Vale," he murmured. "A borderland between worlds. It's where the Rift touches the Waking Realm."
Rhyland moved to his other side, his expression grim. "If the Dominion won't follow us here, it's not because they fear the dark. What lives in this place?"
Thalos' gaze hardened. "Things that hunger. Things that remember what it is to be forgotten."
A shiver ran through the group, a silent understanding passing between them. There would be no rest here—only survival.
---
A Path of Shattered Echoes
They moved as a single unit, their steps careful against the soft, shifting ground. The Hollow Vale twisted around them, the landscape folding and unfolding with each step. Trees with skeletal limbs clawed at the sky, their bark slick and wet as if the forest itself was bleeding.
Thalos led the way, his shadows stretching out, feeling the rhythm of the place. It whispered to him, threads of voices woven into the wind. Fragments of thoughts, memories pulled from the minds of those who had wandered too far.
Eryndra's voice was soft, her breath fogging in the cold air. "There's something watching us."
"I know," Thalos replied. His shadows coiled tighter, a serpent ready to strike. "Stay close."
The ground shifted beneath them, ripples spreading through the earth. Faces pressed against the soil, eyes wide and mouths open in silent screams. The Rose Covenant faltered, their resolve cracking as the Vale showed them its truth.
Rhyland's voice cut through the rising panic. "Eyes forward! We've survived worse—this is just another battlefield!"
The words anchored them, a reminder of purpose. Their formation tightened, weapons braced against the unknown.
---
The Harbinger of Shadows
The path led them to a clearing, the air thick with mist. At its center stood a figure, its silhouette sharp against the twisted landscape. Cloaked in shadows, it watched them, its form shifting and splintering at the edges.
Thalos halted, his breath slowing. The shadows around him hissed, a chorus of fear and reverence. "It's not real," he whispered. "An echo."
The figure moved, its motions fluid, unnatural. "You trespass," it said, its voice a chorus of whispers. "This is not your world."
Rhyland stepped forward, his sword gleaming. "We seek passage, nothing more."
The figure's head tilted, its hollow eyes fixed on him. "There is no passage. Only the abyss."
The ground beneath them cracked, veins of darkness spreading through the soil. Figures rose from the earth, their bodies woven from mist and ash. They moved with a broken grace, their limbs jerking as if pulled by invisible strings.
Eryndra's arrow sang through the air, striking one of the wraiths. It dissolved, its form unraveling into strands of smoke. "They're not real," she called. "But they can still kill us."
The wraiths descended, their bodies shifting through the mist. Blades clashed against shadows, the air filled with the sharp ring of steel. Thalos moved through them, his shadows carving a path through the unreal. His blade met no resistance, each strike a ripple against the dream.
The echo watched, its hollow eyes narrowing. "You bring the dark with you. You think it will save you?"
Thalos met its gaze, his voice a low growl. "The dark is mine to command."
His shadows surged forward, a tidal wave of ink that swallowed the echo whole. The clearing shuddered, the mist unraveling as the world blinked. The wraiths faltered, their forms melting away, leaving only the cold and the silence.
---
A Moment Between Worlds
When the echoes faded, the clearing lay still. The survivors gathered their breath, their wounds shallow but real. Thalos sheathed his blade, his shadows curling back beneath his skin.
Rhyland's expression remained hard, his grip tight around his sword. "If this is what meets us at the border, what waits in the depths?"
Eryndra's fingers brushed Thalos' arm, a quiet question. "Can we make it through?"
Thalos' resolve solidified, his shadows whispering of paths yet unseen. "We have no choice. Whatever waits ahead, it can't be worse than what hunts us behind."
Her hand lingered, a warmth in the cold. "Then we keep moving. Together."
He nodded, a promise etched in the silence. The Vale had tested them, shown them the shape of their fears. But they still stood—together, shadows and all.
And as they turned to face the path ahead, the Hollow Vale watched with eyes that saw through the veil of worlds.